The project, funded through the EEA Norway NGO Programme for Malta aims to build MGRM’s capacity to address policy development and advocacy in specific areas of MGRM’s current priorities and will actively contribute to MGRM’s advocacy of LGBTI rights at the National level. This will be done primarily through the engagement of a policy and programmes officer on a part-time basis who will be tasked with carrying out policy analysis and research, to organise training events, to write policy proposals and papers, to represent MGRM at meetings and events at national and European level and to maintain or develop partnerships and coalitions with other NGOs and relevant actors at National level.

The project aims to address a number of human rights concerns faced by the LGBT community in various life spheres through the recruitment of a policy and programmes officer on a part-time basis. This would greatly increase the capacity of MGRM to develop a number of advocacy initiatives. The role of the policy and programmes officer would include the following:

Representing the organization in conferences, seminars and events in order to raise LGBT issues in various fora;

Manage the day-to-day operations of the MGRM office providing administrative support to the committee and supervising any interns and volunteers;

Developing and providing training to university students, professionals, HR Managers and other relevant parties on LGBT issues with the support and guidance of the committee;

Assist in drawing up funding proposals in order to enable the continued growth of the organization and enable MGRM to achieve its mission;

Assist in the coordination and organization of MGRM’s annual events such as IDAHO and Pride Week;

Develop educational programmes and initiatives and work with schools in order to support them in addressing LGBT issues effectively;

Network with Trade Unions and Professional Bodies to ensure that LGBT issues are mainstreamed in their work;

Assist in the recruitment, training and support of volunteers and supervise interns and volunteers on placement.

Develop MGRM’s programmes around sexual health, the elderly and training of the judiciary, prison wardens as well as the police.

Conduct outreach events aimed at increasing the participation of the LGBT community in advocating on their own behalf.

Project activities

The activities the policy and programmes officer would be undertaking include the following:

Develop a proposal for training of the judiciary;

Liaise with the police to ensure appropriate training; ensure adequate systems are in place in the recording and reporting of hate crime; develop strategies to address under reporting and build the confidence of the LGBT community in the police;

Ensure MGRM’s input to any policy development by the Directorate for Educational Services in addressing homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools;

Develop a package of workshops which the policy and programmes officer can deliver to schools; Market these workshops and facilitate these sessions;

Develop good practice guidelines for Corradino Correctional Facility in the treatment of transgender inmates; develop a proposal for training of prison wardens;

Collate and document a number of oral stories for a publication to record life histories of older LGBT people;

Assist in the organisation of activities around IDAHO (17th May) and Pride Week;

Represent MGRM in meetings, seminars and events;

Assist in the process of drawing up MGRM’s new strategic plan which will go from 2015 to 2019;

Hold meetings with relevant actors such as trade unions, NGO networks, professional bodies;

Organise information and consultation events with the grassroots LGBT community;